Undercover
by annebd
Summary: Harm and Mac spend some quality time together undercover...Chapter Fourteen and Fifteen are up. Harm recovers from the shooting
1. Chapter One

A/N: I guess I have to do this disclaimer thing. None of these characters belong to me. They belong to DPB or one of the other Powers-That-Be. I suppose flames are fine. I do them to other people so, hey, why not? Um, enjoy!  
  
JAG Headquarters  
  
Falls Church, Virginia  
  
0300 Zulu  
  
Mac exited the building. Keys clutched in her right hand, she walked quickly towards her car. She hated parking lots, especially at night. Admittedly, this was the JAG parking lot, so she should have felt safe, yet she never did. She always felt as though someone was behind her.   
  
About twenty yards from her car, Mac heard the sound of faint footsteps behind her. Assuring herself that she was hallucinating, Mac continued walking but quickened her pace slightly. Just a few yards from her car, Mac heard the footsteps become louder, signifying that they were coming closer. As she was about to unlock the car door, Mac felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned quickly and punched her assailant squarely in the stomach. He doubled over in pain.  
  
"Mac! What the hell are you doing?" said a familiar voice.  
  
"Harm? What...Why...I mean, you're not..." Mac stumbled over her words. Coming to her senses, she helped Harm up. "What are you doing back? I thought you were in Florida until Monday."  
  
Harm breathed deeply. Mac sure could pack a punch. "Well, obviously," he stated, "I came back early."  
  
"You know, I would apologize, but you scared the hell outta me," Mac told him. "What exactly were you thinking? Were you just gonna jump out at me and yell 'Surprise?'"   
  
"Actually, I was hoping for a ride. I caught a cab here from the airport, but I forgot that I had left my car at home. I saw you coming out of the building, so I thought you would give me a ride."  
  
"Oh, well, sure. Have you eaten dinner yet?" Mac asked as she opened the car door and motioned for Harm to drop his suitcase in the back seat.   
  
"No, not yet," Harm replied. "I'm starved, though."  
  
"Well, why don't you come over to my place? I haven't eaten either, so we might as well have dinner together. You can tell me all about your trip."  
  
"Sounds good," replied Harm. With that, they were en route to Mac's apartment. 


	2. Chapter Two

Mac's Apartment  
  
0330 Zulu  
  
Mac stood in her kitchen. Looking through the refrigerator, she found nothing but a lemon, three bottles of Evian and a four-week-old tub of cream cheese. Nothing entirely conducive to an elegant dinner. She walked out to her living room where Harm was sitting on the couch.  
  
"Okay, so dinner plans have changed. How does pizza sound?" Mac asked.  
  
"Good," Harm replied, "as long as it's cheese lovers."  
  
"How about half-cheese half-pepperoni?" Mac said with a smile.  
  
"That could work, too!"  
  
Mac placed the order, put on a CD, and the sat down next to Harm on the couch. "So, how was Florida?" Mac asked.  
  
"Interesting. Turns out that the Petty Officer I was investigating had been involved in an underground cocaine smuggling operation. He claimed that he didn't know what was going on, but he finally confessed. That's why I got back early. He pleaded guilty to all charges, so there was no trial."  
  
"Sounds a lot better than what I've been stuck with. I defended a Navy Lieutenant, and the Admiral assigned Lt. Singer to be my second chair. Sometimes I just want to strangle her," Mac replied with a sigh.  
  
"What did she do this time?" Harm asked. His voice gave the impression that he'd been in that situation before.  
  
"Oh, nothing too bad," Mac said sarcastically. "This time she only lied about her family history, driving record, and hair color."  
  
"Her hair color?" Harm asked.  
  
"You don't wanna know," Mac replied.  
  
About twenty minutes later the pizza arrived. While Harm had finished off three slices of his cheesy half, Mac had devoured the entire pepperoni side of the pizza and was currently working on Harm's uneaten slices.  
  
Harm stared at Mac, almost unbelievingly. "What?" Mac asked.  
  
Harm just shook his head. "I am not going to comment. I am not going to comment," he said.  
  
"Uh huh," Mac replied. They spent the next three hours discussing anything and everything, from Harm's cocaine smuggling Petty Officer to Lt. Singer's over-ambitiousness. It was just like old times. They hadn't been getting along all that well lately, and this just felt like it should: best friends spending time together.  
  
Mac's Apartment  
  
1100 Zulu  
  
The next morning, Mac awoke with a start. She looked around and found herself on her couch. Upon looking down, she found herself lying on top of one Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. She got up rather quickly.  
  
"Harm," she called. "Wake up."  
  
"Whatsamattawhosthere?" Harm said incoherently.  
  
"Harm, wake up!" Mac said with a little more force.  
  
Harm opened one eye and saw Mac looking down at him. He realized that they must have fallen asleep on the couch together. "I'm up," he said as he stood up and stretched.  
  
"Well, good morning, sunshine," Mac said. "Do you want some coffee?"  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great," Harm said. He groaned in pain. Couches were not well designed for a 6'4" frame, and he realized that Mac must have been sleeping on top of him, which wouldn't have helped the situation much. He looked over at Mac. After they had gotten to her place the night before, she had changed out of her uniform and into a pair of black pants and a tight red babydoll t-shirt. She was still wearing those clothes, and she looked good in them.   
  
"You know," he said, "you look good in the morning."  
  
"Thanks," Mac replied a little unsurely as she handed him the coffee. "We had better get ready for work. Do you need me to take you back to your place?"  
  
"No, I've got my uniform with me. I just need to borrow your shower."  
  
"Go ahead," Mac said. She watched as Harm walked toward the bathroom. Waking up in his arms seemed just a little too normal for her comfort. She shook it off and finished drinking her coffee while she waited for Harm to get done in the shower. 


	3. Chapter Three

JAG Headquarters  
  
1300 Zulu  
  
"Bud! Did you see them?" Harriet asked excitedly. She was practically bouncing around her husband.  
  
"Did I see who, Harriet?" Bud asked his wife with just a hint of exasperation.  
  
"The Colonel and the Commander, Bud," Harriet replied. "They came in together this morning. You know what that means."  
  
"That could mean a number of things, Harriet. Maybe the Commander got back this morning, and Colonel Mackenzie gave him a ride from the airport. You know, you really are becoming obsessed with those two."  
  
Bud and Harriet walked into Bud's office.   
  
"You are so boring, Bud. They're meant for each other. Maybe they've finally realized it," Harriet said. She didn't understand why Bud never saw the sparks.  
  
"Or maybe," Bud replied, "you're acting like a giddy twelve year old, and you should let me finish this case I'm working on."  
  
"Well, fine," said Harriet. "But you just remember this, because I'm right." And with that, she marched out of Bud's office.  
  
At the same time, Mac and Harm were in Harm's office. On the ride to JAG, neither of them had mentioned what had occurred the night before. There was a silent agreement between them that last night they had been tired and had fallen asleep. Nothing more, nothing less. They weren't even going to think about the repercussions if someone found out. Especially if Harriet was that someone.   
  
While they were discussing Harm's case, someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Enter," Harm said.  
  
Tiner walked into the office. "Colonel, Commander, the Admiral would like to see you in his office."  
  
"Thank you, Tiner," Mac said. "We'll be right there."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Tiner turned and left the office.  
  
Mac and Harm made their way into Admiral Chegwidden's office. They walked in and stood at attention.   
  
"At ease," said the Admiral. "Have a seat. It's good to see you back, Commander."  
  
"It's good to be back, sir," Harm replied.  
  
"Well, get over it," the Admiral replied. "You two will be leaving today."  
  
"Leaving, sir?" Mac asked.  
  
"There's an investigation going on in California. There's been a underground operation of drug smuggling down there. Heroine, apparently. I want you two on the case. Undercover. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Harm and Mac answered together.  
  
"One question, though, sir," Mac said.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why is JAG involved, Admiral?" Mac asked.  
  
"A Lt. Commander is suspected to be the leader of the smuggling ring. Apparently he uses married couples as transports for the drugs. We just don't have any concrete evidence yet," the Admiral explained.  
  
"So you want us to go undercover as a married couple, sir?" Harm asked.  
  
"Yes, Commander, I do," Admiral replied. "Your plane leaves in three hours. I assume that's enough time for you to get some things together."  
  
"Yes, sir!" came the simultaneous response.  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
"Aye aye, sir!" Harm and Mac said as they stood at attention and walked out of the office.  
  
Outside, Mac turned to Harm. "Well, you seem to be attracting all of the drug smuggling cases nowadays," she said.  
  
"Yeah, and you seem to be going undercover as everyone's wife nowadays," Harm replied.  
  
"Ouch, Commander," Mac laughed as they walked to their offices. 


	4. Chapter Four

Mac's Apartment  
  
1527 Zulu  
  
After leaving JAG, Mac drove Harm back to his place where he could pack his bags. They had agreed to meet at Mac's apartment so that they could take one car to the airport.   
  
Harm packed a couple suitcases and dressed in a black suit with a sky blue shirt underneath. He left his apartment and drove over to Mac's. He knocked on the door. It took Mac a little while to answer, so when she finally did, Harm was ready with a smart comeback for her tardiness.   
  
"You know, Marine," he began as she opened the door. Mac, however, cut him off relatively quickly with the ensemble she was wearing. Harm began by staring at the shoes and then worked his way upwards. She was wearing a pair of four inch black stilettos, which led to a pair of perfectly shaped legs, which led to an oh-so-short cut red spaghetti strap dress. Harm whistled loudly. "Well, hello there!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Red light, Commander," Mac replied with a laugh. "And anyway, I don't think my husband would appreciate such behavior. I am a married woman, you know," she added teasingly.  
  
"Well, I envy your husband greatly," Harm replied, teasing back.  
  
"Funny, squid," Mac said as she walked into the apartment, inviting Harm to follow. "I'm just getting ready for our trip. I'm supposed to be the wife of a rich man, aren't I? I just thought I'd dress the part."  
  
"What, by dressing up as his mistress?" Harm said, only half kidding.  
  
"Harmon Rabb!" Mac said, shocked. "Are you trying to say that you don't like it?"  
  
"Oh, I like it plenty. I just wonder what the Admiral would think. Maybe I should send him some polaroids," Harm said, pretending to take pictures of Mac.  
  
"You!" Mac said with a pretend look of anger as she threw a pillow at Harm's head. "Well, enough fooling around. We have to get going. Our plane leaves in thirty three minutes."  
  
Harm sighed. "Are you ever going to tell me how you do that?"  
  
"Like I said before, Harm," Mac replied, "I would tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."  
  
"Right," Harm said. "Let's get going, shall we?"  
  
Mac grabbed her suitcases, and they left for the airport, looking like the perfect married couple they would be portraying for the next few days. 


	5. Chapter Five

Flight 691  
  
1700 Zulu  
  
They had spent the entire car ride to the airport discussing their new personas. Harm would become David Elliott, and Mac would become Catherine Elliott. Since the all of the married couples involved in the smuggling were rather rich, the Elliotts were self-made millionaires. Harm had no trouble settling into his role of the rich, handsome man. And Mac, of course, was having a ball as the rather slutty Mrs. Elliott.  
  
After checking their luggage, they boarded the plane. They quickly found their seats, overjoyed to find that they were flying first class.  
  
"You know, we should go undercover as rich people more often," Harm said as he tossed his carry-on in the overhead compartment. "It's not everyday that JAG pays for its people to fly first class."  
  
Mac grabbed her carry-on bag and did the same as Harm. "I wouldn't suggest getting used to it," she said as she made her way to her seat next to the window. In getting to her seat, she had to practically climb over Harm, who was sitting in the aisle seat. Harm made no protest. The opportunity to have Mac climbing on him was just about as rare as JAG paying for first class plane tickets.  
  
Soon enough, one of the flight attendants came over the intercom. "Attention ladies and gentleman..." Harm and Mac groaned simultaneously as the flight attendants went over the standard safety procedures. Harm began to giggle profusely as Mac, with a poker face, mimicked the attendants. She had the hand movements down perfectly. Once the procedure drill was over, Harm turned to look at Mac, "You fly way too often."  
  
"I know," she replied.   
  
Once the plane was in the air, they began discussing the case. Harm pulled out the case file. "Alright, here's what we've got: the couples were all married, obviously, and they all flew from Dulles International Airport to San Diego International Airport. They all stayed at Hotel La Jolla for a week," Harm explained. "Now, here's where it gets tricky. Once they left San Diego, they got past security at San Diego International. But, when they got back to D.C. they were stopped by security. They found heroine on all of the couples, always in the carry-on luggage. So, I'm thinking that the heroine was placed there during the flight."  
  
"Wow! What tipped you off, Sherlock?" Mac asked sarcastically.  
  
"I wasn't done yet," Harm returned with a pout.  
  
Just then, a flight attendant came trundling up the aisle with the beverage cart. "What can I get for you folks?" she asked with a gentle southern accent.  
  
"I'll have a Coke, please," Mac said.  
  
"A gin and..." Harm trailed off. He turned to Mac. "Do you mind?"  
  
"You're the one drinking it Harm."  
  
"I'll have a gin and tonic," Harm finished. The attendant gave them a quick look of confusion at the exchange, but recovered and said, "Of course. I'll be right back."  
  
"Now, as I was saying," Harm said. "I hadn't finished. I have two problems with this story. First, if the drugs were only planted on the return flight, why did the couples have so many similarities in their activities? And second, after the heroine was confiscated, the couples were arrested. They were cleared eventually, but the heroine disappeared."  
  
"They can't find the drugs?" Mac asked incredulously. "You're telling me that we're on a drug smuggling case, and they don't have drugs?"  
  
"Pretty much, yeah," Harm replied.  
  
Mac sighed. "This is going to take FOREVER! Hey! How did you get that Petty Officer to confess? Maybe we can use the same tactics on Lt. Commander Davis."  
  
"NO, Mac!" Harm said.  
  
"Fine," came the grumpy reply from Mac, who slid lower in her seat.  
  
  
  
A/N Sorry the chapters are all so short. What do you think of their new names? Hee-hee! By the way, if you think this chapter sucks, so do I. 


	6. Chapter Six

A/N: While the Hotel La Jolla is indeed a real place, I have no idea what it's really like. I'm taking artistic liberties with the description of it. Also, the line Mac says is from Pretty Woman; I didn't write it. Other than that, enjoy the chapter.  
  
Hotel La Jolla  
  
2100 Zulu  
  
Harm and Mac walked into the hotel lobby. Staring around the room, they were completely beside themselves. They had been in fancy hotels before, but this was amazing. Hotel La Jolla was established in a building from the 19th century, which had recently been restored. Outside, it looked like any other building. While the architecture was gorgeous, it didn't really stand out from any of the other buildings surrounding it. Inside, however, was a different story altogether. The lobby, while relatively small, was beautifully decorated with flowers. Looking up, Harm and Mac saw that the ceiling was completely painted and was rather reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel.   
  
Mac breathed in deeply. "Wow!" she said, half to herself and half to Harm.  
  
"I know," Harm replied. "This is amazing. Perfect place for a honeymoon, don't you think?"  
  
Mac turned to Harm and stared for a second. She laughed and turned away. "Come on, let's go get our room. I need a shower and food."  
  
They walked over to the front desk. "Reservation for Elliott," Harm told the receptionist.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Elliott," the receptionist replied. "You're in Suite 205. Do you need help with your luggage?"  
  
"No, thank you, we're fine," Harm said as the receptionist handed him the key card. He took the key and walked with Mac to the elevator. Mac pushed the button, and they waited for the elevator. Not too long afterwards, the silver doors slid open.  
  
Mac, feeling rather playful, ran into the elevator. "Well, color me happy, there's a sofa in here for two!" Mac giggled as she jumped onto the couch. Harm stared at her blankly.  
  
"You're kidding me, right?" Mac asked as the elevator began to move. "Pretty Woman? Ring a bell?"   
  
Harm just shook his head.  
  
"You've got to watch more chick flicks, squid," she said. The elevator soon came to a halt. They stepped out and walked down the hallway to their room. After several unsuccessful attempts with the key card, Harm handed the key card to Mac with a pout. She tried it once and opened the door. She tossed the card back to Harm.  
  
"Sometimes it just needs a woman's touch," she smiled.   
  
Harm closed the door behind them. He walked into the suite and whistled. This must have cost JAG a fortune. The suite was huge. The bedroom had a king sized bed and a flat screen TV. The room led to the bathroom, which included a shower built for two and a Jacuzzi bathtub. The trip was beginning to feel less like an investigation and more like a well-deserved vacation.  
  
Mac walked out of the bedroom. "Isn't this great?" she said to Harm.   
  
"Fabulous. Didn't you say that you wanted to shower?" Harm replied.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Mac returned. "Listen, I'll go shower and change and then you can shower. Afterwards we can get some dinner or something. While I'm in there, why don't you start setting up some of the equipment?" Mac grabbed her suitcase from the pile that had formed at the entrance to the suite. She took it into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.  
  
Walking over to the pile where Mac had gotten her suitcase, Harm picked out a case. He carried it over to the window. Harm began to unpack its contents onto the chair facing outside. He smiled as he set up everything. These gadgets looked like something that should be in Webb's possession, not his. Harm had everything from a powerful, yet tiny, telescope, to a device that allowed him to hear conversations up to fifty yards away.  
  
Harm set up the equipment so that it was all in position to watch over the outdoor café, which the hotel suite overlooked. Lt. Commander Davis frequented the café. He ate both breakfast and lunch there, and he ate dinner there three times a week. Mac and Harm had decided that this was where Davis first met the couples who would later become drug transports.  
  
It took about twenty minutes, but Harm finally finished setting up the equipment, and Mac emerged from the bathroom. She was dressed in a denim skirt that reached just above her knees, a white blouse and brown suede jacket, and a pair of brown suede knee-high boots.   
  
"You set everything up already," Mac commented.  
  
"Yeah, it wasn't too difficult to figure out. You look good," Harm added.  
  
"Thanks. So, do you wanna order in or head to the café and start the 'undercover' thing now?" Mac asked.  
  
"Um, room service. I'm tired for playing undercover cop right now." Harm said.  
  
And with that, Mac went to get the phone and called for room service. She ordered dinner for them both: steak for her, salad for him. She hung up and walked over to Harm. He was sitting on the chair next to the equipment. She put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"You look half-dead," Mac said.  
  
"I am," Harm replied.  
  
"Well, I guess we can't carry on our torrid romantic affair tonight, then," Mac joked. But she wasn't joking long. She had barely finished her sentence when Harm stood up quickly and drew the curtains closed. He grabbed Mac's arms and pinned her up against the wall. Before she could protest, he kissed her deeply and passionately. She was about to kick him the balls when she felt herself reaching up to pull his head closer to her and begin kissing him back.  
  
A/N: Ha-ha-ha! I feel very evil right now! What's going on with Harm? I guess you'll have to wait for the next installment to find out. Feel the power! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Hotel La Jolla  
  
Suite 205  
  
2125 Zulu  
  
  
  
Mac sighed and leaned into the kiss. As she did, she heard the door open.  
  
"Clean tow-," began the voice. It stopped when the owner of the voice saw Harm and Mac. "Oh my! I didn't know...I mean, I...well, there was...um, I'll just come back later, shall I? Okay...yes...well, good night!" She shut the door loudly behind her and scurried down the hallway.  
  
Harm drew away from Mac. They stared at each other.   
  
"So that's why you-" Mac began.  
  
"Yeah," Harm replied, knowing exactly what she meant. "I heard the cart coming down the hall, and then I heard someone using the key card. I didn't know what else to do. I had to hide the equipment somehow."  
  
"Well, yeah, of course. Yeah...of course. It makes sense," Mac said without much conviction in her voice.  
  
"Mac, I'm really sorry," Harm said. "I swear, I couldn't think of anything else."  
  
"No, Harm. You don't have to apologize," Mac said. She walked over to the couch and sat down, legs curled up underneath her. "I guess I should be used to it by now. Every time we kiss, there's some other meaning behind it."  
  
Harm joined her on the couch. "What does that mean?" he asked.   
  
Mac sighed. "It means that we've never kissed because it was what we wanted to do. First was the time you were kissing Diane, and then on the Admiral's porch, and then underneath the mistletoe at Harriet and Bud's Christmas party. And now this."  
  
"I can understand the Diane thing and the mistletoe, but I thought the Admiral's porch meant something," Harm said. Although he tried as hard as he could not to show it, both his voice and his expression showed his disappointment.  
  
"I thought it did, too, Harm, until I realized that it was just you trying to say goodbye or get me back or...something," Mac replied. "It wasn't love. Not that it should have been, but-"  
  
Mac was interrupted by a knock at the door.   
  
"Room service!" called a voice. Though neither Harm nor Mac wanted to get up, Harm finally did.   
  
"Where would you like this?" asked the deliverer.   
  
"Um, over there," Harm replied, pointing to the table. He looked over at Mac, who was just staring at him. Handing the kid a tip, Harm never took his eyes from Mac.   
  
Once the room service delivery guy had left, Mac walked over to the food on the table. They both sat down and began to eat. Ten minutes into dinner, Harm couldn't stand it any longer.  
  
"We have to talk about this, Mac," he said, dropping his fork to stare at her. "Why does this thing between us have to be so difficult?"  
  
"Because it's us, Harm. Even if we ever did want to do something about what we felt, we couldn't because..." Mac cut off. Harm knew what she was going to say. Both of their careers would be in jeopardy if they acted on their feelings.  
  
"Listen, forget that. Forget all of it. What are you thinking right now? About us, I mean. If the Navy, and the Marine Corps, and JAG weren't in the picture, what do you think about us?" Harm asked.  
  
Mac was getting frustrated. She wanted to tell him more than anything, but she couldn't.  
  
"Mac?" he pressured.  
  
Mac snapped. "Fine! You wanna know? I was thinking about what it would be like to fuck you!"  
  
Harm's eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline. "Excuse me? Care to elaborate on that one?"  
  
Mac sighed. "Remember when I told you that Jordan thought that you would be mine just as soon as I finally decided that I wanted you?"  
  
"Yeah," Harm said cautiously.  
  
"Well, the night she told me that some of the girls were talking, and Caroline asked Jordan what you were like."  
  
"What I was like?" Harm questioned.  
  
"You know... like, in bed. Well, anyway, Jordan asked me what I thought. I told them all that I didn't know, and the thing is, Harm," Mac took a deep breath. "I'd kinda like to know."  
  
"Really?" Harm asked, a little bewildered.   
  
"Yeah," Mac said. She turned to Harm and placed her hands on his shoulders. She leaned over to kiss him. Unlike the kiss before, this one was soft and a little tentative. Mac sighed. "Well, what do you think?"  
  
Harm reached over to Mac and removed her jacket and then stood up. He stood her up with him. "Come on," he said. He led her towards the bedroom. As they reached the door, he leaned down and picked her up and 'carried her over the threshold."   
  
He placed her on the bed and began to kiss her. He moved from her lips to her neck. "You smell good," he said.  
  
"You do, too," Mac replied. "But right now, I just wanna get your clothes off."  
  
They spent the night wrapped up in each other's arms. They tried to tell themselves that as long as they didn't talk about it, nothing was wrong.   
  
A/N: Well, what do you think? I know, I know. It screams "I'm a trashy romance novel! Read me!" But, I guess it got my point across. I realize that this chapter seriously lacked humor, but it'll be back soon, I promise! 


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N: I must inform you that it is with both apprehension and doubt that I write this chapter. I fear that I haven't the slightest idea where this story will lead. I do hope, however, that it won't be a complete disappointment to us both.   
  
1237 Zulu  
  
Hotel La Jolla  
  
Suite 205  
  
Mac awoke with the sunlight in her eyes. Momentarily dazed, she rolled over to see Harm standing next to the window. As the moments passed, she realized everything that had occurred the night before. What she'd said, what he'd said, what they'd done. When the last thought crossed her mind, Mac let out an inaudible groan and rolled back over. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Finally, she decided that she had to get out of bed. They had a case to investigate.  
  
"Good morning," Mac said to Harm as she got out of bed and dressed in a bath- robe. Harm turned away from the window to look at her.  
  
"Morning," he answered. He walked away from the window and towards the room's pseudo-kitchen. "Do you want some coffee? I'll make it 'marine-style.'"  
  
Mac laughed. "Sure, that'd be good." She walked over to the couch and sat down. From there, she alternated her view between Harm making coffee and the café they were supposed to be observing.   
  
Harm finished getting everything set up and left the coffee to brew. Then, he joined Mac on the couch.  
  
"So," he began, "how did you sleep?"  
  
"Most of the time with you spooning me," Mac replied with a laugh. She decided that instead of having to confront the issue at hand, they would just joke around it.  
  
Harm blushed. "Well, um, you could have...you know...because...well...you know."  
  
Mac couldn't help herself. She had to laugh. Harm sounded like a bumbling idiot, which at that point he probably was.   
  
"Yeah, I know," she said. She saw that the coffee had finished brewing. She got up to pour two cups, leaving Harm on the couch to collect his thoughts. Once she had finished making the coffee, she brought it back to the couch and handed Harm a cup.  
  
Mac took a sip of her coffee. "So, I was thinking that we should probably go down to the café for breakfast and see if we bump into Commander Davis."  
  
"Good idea," Harm replied. "I'll go get the case file, see if there's anything else we need to remember before we go undercover."  
  
Mac giggled. Harm turned around and stared at her. "Are you laughing at me?"  
  
"Yup," Mac replied.  
  
"Might I ask why?"  
  
"It's just that you make it sound like we're superheroes out to save the world." Mac began to joke around, using her best 'superhero voice.' "Alright, Ninja Girl, it's time for us to go undercover. Dumdumdum!"  
  
Harm laughed. "The things I put up with."  
  
He walked into the bedroom to grab the file. While he did, Mac continued to watch the café. Harm returned shortly with the file.   
  
"The only thing I can see is that the couples all had breakfast at the café everyday of their trips. After that their activities included everything from shopping to going to an amusement park." Harm continued to flip through the file. "Well, here's something interesting: all of the couples visited the local naval base where Davis works. Maybe he saw them at the café and recognized them at the base."  
  
"That's a good start. Let's go to breakfast, and then we can figure what to do for the rest of the day. A trip to the base will definitely have to be penciled in, though."  
  
"Yeah," Harm said. "We should probably go get dressed then."  
  
"Right. I'll take the bathroom and you take the bedroom," Mac said. She walked to the bedroom and picked up a suitcase. She then walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Harm was left alone in the bedroom. He picked up his own suitcase and began to get dressed. He started to think about Mac. She seemed comfortable enough with the previous night's events. Why couldn't he feel the same way? She was his best friend, and he was definitely in love with her. But the military thing was always there, hanging over them like the plague. Harm sighed. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  
  
1300 Zulu  
  
Café Madeleine  
  
La Jolla, California  
  
Harm led Mac over to their outdoor table. Always the gentleman, he held out her chair for her, and waited for her to sit down before pushing in her chair. After about ten minutes, they had ordered breakfast and drinks. Mac was sipping her second cup of coffee that morning when she noticed Lt. Commander Davis. He sat down at a table close to theirs and ordered something from the waitress. He looked as though he was waiting for someone to join him, as he repeatedly checked his watch.  
  
Just then, Sandy, their waitress, returned with Harm and Mac's breakfast. Apparently she was the friendly type, and quickly struck up a conversation. "So, are you folks here on business or pleasure?"  
  
"Uh, pleasure," Harm said, looking at Mac.  
  
"Yes," Mac agreed, "A sort of second honeymoon, you know."  
  
Sandy nodded, smiling profusely at Mac. "How long have y'all been married?"  
  
"Well, I'd say two and a half years, but my wife here can tell you how long it's been to the minute," Harm answered.  
  
Mac sighed internally. It was time to go into wife mode. "David," she laughed slightly, slapping him gently on the arm as she did, "I'm not all that bad."  
  
The waitress laughed. "I know how it is. You want to remember every moment,"  
  
"Yeah," Mac said. "That's it."  
  
Harm could practically see the sarcasm dripping from Mac's words, but Sandy, apparently, couldn't.  
  
"Well, I'd better get back to my other customers. But you folks enjoy your breakfast and have fun while you're here." With her last statement she smiled at Mac. "Oh, and if you're looking for something to do, you should check out the navy base. It's really interesting." She tuned and walked away. Mac thought nothing of it, and began to eat her toast when she noticed the waitress at Davis's table whispering something in his ear. When she saw Mac watching her, she smiled and quickly walked away.  
  
"Harm, what are the chances that Sandy and Davis are in this together?"  
  
"I'd say pretty good," Harm replied. He turned to look at Davis. Harm didn't picture him as the drug smuggling type. He was about 5'10 and weighed about 160 pounds. With blond hair, blue eyes and a pretty boy face, he looked like he should be a rock star in a hotel room with a gorgeous model shooting heroine, not a Lt. Commander sitting in a café being investigated for smuggling it.   
  
Harm and Mac finished their breakfast quickly. They needed to get back to the hotel soon so that they could look into the waitress a little more closely. Once they had finished Mac turned to Harm.  
  
"I think maybe we should go back to the hotel, sweetheart," she said, a hand on Harm's forearm. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips. They did need to seem like a couple.  
  
"Yeah, me, too," Harm replied. He took out some cash to pay for breakfast and left it on the table. He and Mac then left the café, hand in hand.  
  
They walked back to the hotel and silence and didn't speak again until they were alone in the elevator.  
  
"So, what do we know? Davis is at the café every single day. He must have struck up some sort of relationship with the employees. Maybe Sandy got involved in the smuggling," Mac suggested.  
  
"I think there's definitely something there," Harm agreed. "Maybe that's where the couples got the idea to go visit the base. She told them that it was 'really interesting' and they went along with it."  
  
"Which would be a perfect time for Davis to find out more about them," Mac said.  
  
"Exactly," Harm agreed. "You know, great minds really do think alike."  
  
The elevator reached their floor and came to a stop. The doors opened and Mac stepped out.   
  
"Yeah," she said as she began to walk down the hall. "And idiots seldom differ!"  
  
A/N: I know, it's a funky place to end. Bare with me, though. 


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N: This chapter will be the first in which Davis, Harm, and Mac are together and have dialogue. If it is too confusing having "David" and "Davis," please review and I'll change something. I also decided to do away with the whole location and time thing. It just gets in the way. Other than that, enjoy and review, please.  
  
Harm and Mac had spent the rest of the day researching Sandy Watson. After several hours, they discovered that she had no prior arrest record. She didn't even have as much as a parking ticket. Nothing in her history provided any evidence that she might be linked to Davis other than at the café.   
  
Exhausted, Mac left the table at which she and Harm had been working and plopped herself down on the couch.  
  
"I am so tired," Mac whined. "My neck is killing me."  
  
"I know the feeling," Harm replied. He walked over to Mac and began massaging her shoulders gently.   
  
"That feels so good," Mac sighed.  
  
"Glad I can be of service," Harm smiled as he received several satisfied groans from his partner.  
  
After a few minutes, Harm sat down beside Mac. "I think we should head to the base tomorrow. After breakfast at the café, of course."  
  
"Sounds good to me," she replied. "I'm gonna go to bed. I don't think I can stay awake another minute."  
  
Mac stood up from the couch and stretched. As she yawned, she walked towards the bedroom. She was about to enter the room when, without stopping, she did an about face and walked right back to Harm.  
  
"Problem?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. Last night our sleeping arrangements didn't matter much since...well, you know," Mac said. "But tonight..."  
  
"We can sleep in the same bed, Mac. We are grown ups here." Noticing the look on Mac's face he added, "If it's okay with you, of course."  
  
"Yeah, sure. It's fine with me," Mac said a little hesitantly.  
  
"Alright. Goodnight, then," Harm said.  
  
"Goodnight," Mac said and disappeared into the bedroom.  
  
About an hour later, Harm entered the bedroom. He changed into his 'pajamas,' which consisted of his boxer shorts and dog tags. Harm sat down on the edge of the bed. Mac was already sound asleep. Harm reached over and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She looked so adorable when she was asleep, so unlike the tough Marine colonel he was used to. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Then he climbed into bed and fell asleep with Mac in his arms.  
  
***********This time it was Harm who awoke alone in bed. Mac had been up for a few minutes and was standing at the window, which had become a sort of thinking area for the partners. Harm walked up behind her.  
  
"Hey," he said.  
  
"Hey yourself," Mac replied. "I was just checking on the café."  
  
"Anything happening yet?"  
  
"Nope. You want some coffee?" Mac offered.   
  
"Yeah. So, are you ready for the base today?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be. Whatever that means," Mac said, walking to the coffee maker.  
  
Mac made two cups of coffee, and she and Harm sat down on the couch. After a few minutes of a slightly uncomfortable silence, Harm turned to Mac.  
  
"We need to talk about this," he said.  
  
"About what? Davis?" she replied, a little confused.  
  
"About us, Mac," he said.  
  
"I really don't wanna go there, Harm," Mac sighed. "It won't solve anything, and one of us is bound to get hurt."  
  
"Mac, we've slept together. We pretty much already went there," Harm said. "Look, I've been thinking about this. Remember when you asked me what I'd give up to have you? Well, I realized that I'd give up everything."  
  
"Harm-," Mac began.  
  
"No, listen. I would give up everything. JAG included. If you want this to work, I'll request to change my designator. I love you, Mac."   
  
"I love you, too, Harm, but that doesn't change anything. I would never be able to let you quit working at JAG for me. Right now, it seems like a good idea because we'd be together. But in the long run, you'd eventually end up resenting me for making you leave, and I'd always be guilty about it. It just wouldn't work."  
  
Harm looked as though he was about to cry.   
  
"Mac, I wouldn't resent you. I promise, I wouldn't," Harm said pleadingly.  
  
Mac reached over and brushed the side of Harm's face. She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Yeah, you would."  
  
Before Mac could pull away completely, Harm pulled her close to him and kissed her hard. The kiss was desperate and passionate, and they both melted into it. After a few breathless minutes, they pulled away and looked at each other.  
  
"I won't resent you, Mac." Harm said.  
  
"I just don't want things to change between us. You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose that." Mac said.  
  
"Nothing will change between us, Mac. We'll still be best friends; only we'll be more than that. And, I really won't resent you. I promise you that."  
  
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Mac said, something she remembered saying earlier in their relationship.  
  
"I never have," Harm said. "Does that mean that you'll consider this?"  
  
"Yes," Mac replied.  
  
"Good," Harm said, before pulling Mac into another breathtaking kiss.  
  
After taking a very steamy shower together, Harm and Mac dressed quickly and headed to the cafe. They were entering the restaurant as Davis was leaving. They sat down at the table and were quickly joined by Sandy.  
  
"Good morning!" she said brightly. Mac sighed inwardly. This was only the second time she'd met Sandy, and the younger woman's perkiness was already grating at her nerves. The fact that the woman had given them no information to help with the case irritated her even more.  
  
"Morning!" Mac replied, trying as hard as possible to not to let her irritation show. "How are you today?"  
  
"Great, thanks! What can I get for you today?"  
  
After taking their orders, and attempting, but failing, to flirt shamelessly with Harm, Sandy left them alone.   
  
"So, Catherine," Harm chuckled when he saw Mac's grimace at the name. "What do you want to do today?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps we could head to the Navy base. I'd love to see all those men in uniform." Mac smiled. She knew that comment would get to Harm. They had decided that they should talk about going to the base in front of Sandy. Maybe she would then tip off Davis about it, and he would make an effort to meet them. It was a long shot, but they were willing to try anything to solve the case. Once they had finished breakfast, they paid the bill and left for the base.   
  
They drove there in silence. Harm's hand was resting lightly on Mac's thigh, silently reassuring her of his promise. It took them about ten minutes to get to the base. When they arrived, they saw Davis immediately. Apparently he was the head of a sort of tour for visitors. They walked over to him and joined the tour group.   
  
The tour was nothing that Harm and Mac hadn't seen before. They'd been on military bases all of their careers, so there was nothing interesting about it. The rest of the visitors, however, were enthralled with the military precision and order. At the end of the tour, the tourists were allowed to look around a little more.   
  
Harm and Mac were wandering around, when Commander Davis approached them.  
  
"Excuse me, folks, but I was wondering, are you two the couple from the café?"  
  
"Yes, we saw you there this morning, didn't we?" Harm asked him.  
  
"Yes, sir," Davis replied.  
  
"I'm David Elliott, and this is my wife, Catherine," Harm told him.  
  
"Pleasure to meet you ma'am, sir," Davis said. "I'm Lt. Commander Davis. But you already knew that."  
  
Harm and Mac looked at each other. How did he know that they knew his name?"From the tour?" Davis said with a curious look. Of course! He had introduced himself at the beginning of the tour. They had to be more careful.  
  
"Right!" Mac tried to cover.   
  
"So, what are you folks in town for, if you don't mind my asking?" Davis inquired.  
  
"A little business," Harm said. "But mostly pleasure."  
  
He wrapped his arm around Mac and pulled her closer to him. She smiled, as did Davis.  
  
"I can see that," Davis said. "Mind if I ask what you do for a living?"  
  
"Not at all. About twenty years ago, someone started marketing this little gadget called a cell phone. While everyone else was writing it off as something out of Star Trek, I was intrigued, so I invested in it. Nowadays that investment is pretty substantial."  
  
"Wow!" Davis exclaimed. "That's pretty impressive. What about you ma'am?"  
  
"I'm a lawyer. I work for a firm back in Virginia," Mac replied. At least that part   
  
wasn't a lie.  
  
They talked with Davis for a few more minutes before a lieutenant came running up, in search of something or other.  
  
"I guess I have to be going then. I'll see you tomorrow at the café?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," Harm replied. "See you then."  
  
Harm and Mac turned around and began to head off base. During their conversation they hadn't learned much about Davis, but he had learned a lot about them. Hopefully they could become a little closer to him tomorrow at the café. As they headed off base, Mac took Harm's hand, and they walked, fingers entwined, to the car.  
  
Back at the hotel, Mac and Harm didn't have much to do. Harm decided to check in with the Admiral. While Harm was on his cell phone, Mac decided to take a shower. After about fifteen minutes, she walked out of the bathroom and into the living room wearing only a towel and a smile. Harm was standing with his back to her, and she heard the end of his conversation.  
  
"Yes, sir, will do. I'll send that in as soon as possible. Goodbye, Admiral," Harm hung up and yelled, "Hey Mac, are you done in the shower, 'cause I-" Harm stopped talking as he turned around. He saw Mac, and his lower jaw dropped in shock. "Wow!"  
  
"Thanks, Harm," Mac chuckled. "You like?"   
  
Harm just nodded. He was too dumbfounded to do anything else. Mac walked over to him and grabbed his hand. She led him towards the bedroom.  
  
"Come on, Harm. I need to talk to you about sleeping arrangements," Mac said as she practically threw Harm onto the bed.   
  
Outside, a bellboy walking past heard a giggle, a thud and another giggle. "Newlyweds," he thought.  
  
***********  
  
The next morning, Mac awoke around 7:30 a.m. She was still a little unused to Harm's arms enveloping her while she slept, but she was beginning to enjoy the security of it. As she had been sleeping with her back to Harm, she turned around carefully so as not to wake him yet. She wanted to watch him sleep. She began to think of all the things he had said to her just a short while before. He loved her and wanted to be with her. And Mac was just as in love with him.  
  
She was thinking of just how much she loved her sailor when Mac found herself staring into the blue-green eyes of her partner, who had just awoken.   
  
"Morning, beautiful," Harm whispered.  
  
"Good morning," Mac said before she pulled Harm into another one of their seemingly eternal kisses. After they came up for air, she said, "We need to get down to the café soon. Davis will be waiting."  
  
"I agree," Harm said, pulling Mac even closer to him so he could whisper in her ear, "But how about a shower first? I'm feeling a little dirty."  
  
After their shower, the partners got dressed, had their customary caffeine fix, and headed down to the café. Once they arrived, they quickly spotted Davis, who waved them over to his table.  
  
"Why don't you join me? I just arrived myself," he offered.  
  
Mac accepted, and they sat down. Sandy arrived to take their orders not long after. As she was walking away from their table, she gave Harm and Mac a strange look, almost one of sympathy.  
  
Davis quickly pulled them into conversation. He wanted to know everything about them. Where did Mac work? What did they do for fun? Exactly how much was Harm worth? While he never directly asked any of the questions, he worked them into the conversation with charm and ease. If Harm and Mac hadn't been lawyers investigating the man, they probably would have fallen prey to him.  
  
Once they had finished eating, Davis extended an offer that they couldn't refuse.  
  
"How would you like to join me for dinner?" he asked. "I know a great place called Bella's; it's close to the base."  
  
"We'd love to," Mac said. This would give them another chance to investigate him. "Wouldn't we, darling?" she asked Harm.  
  
"Yes, of course," Harm replied. "We'd love to."  
  
After confirming the time and place for dinner, Harm and Mac left the café. They were back in the hotel quickly, and had made themselves comfortable on the couch.  
  
"This is perfect," Mac said to Harm. "Hopefully he'll try something tonight, and we can go home."  
  
"Well, maybe I don't wanna go home, yet," Harm pouted. "I was having fun sleeping next to you every night."  
  
"Who says that has to change?" Mac replied.  
  
"Hmm. Certainly not me," Harm said before kissing Mac lightly on the lips. "Now, how about another shower?"  
  
Mac laughed. "Harmon Rabb, Jr., you are incorrigible!"  
  
A/N Okay, what do you think? The story is almost over, so bear with me a little longer. I tried to make this chapter a little longer. Anyway, review please and thank you. 


	10. Chapter Ten

A/N: I am expecting approximately two chapters to follow this one. Hopefully I can get this story out of my head, then. Once again, I apologize for the delay in posting, but my AP Language class is threatening to kill me.  
  
A/N 2: I suppose I should have said this earlier, but this story takes place after the events in Paraguay, but Singer was not murdered, and Harm's resignation was not filed, or whatever it is that happens to resignations in the military. Is that what a spoiler means? Oh, well!  
  
Anyway, on with the show:  
  
Harm and Mac had, in their few days together, become an old married couple. They bickered over whose toothbrush was whose, how long it would take to get to the restaurant, what time to leave to get there on time and who made better coffee. Mac had to laugh after Harm sighed exasperatedly when they began the restaurant argument for the fifth time.  
  
"But Ma-a-ac, we have to get there early, so we can do some surveillance," Harm whined.  
  
"But Ha-a-rm," Mac mocked her partner. "We don't have to be there early."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because, what if we get there early, and he gets there early, and he sees us, and obviously, we're there early, so he's thinking, 'Why are they here early' and then our cover is blown, and the Admiral has us both court-martialed, and we get discharged, and then we'll both shoot ourselves because we wouldn't know what to do outside of the military," Mac explained.  
  
"All because we got to the restaurant early?" Harm asked, bewildered.  
  
"Yup," Mac replied.  
  
That was when Harm sighed exasperatedly, and Mac laughed. "Come on, Harm," she said. "We need to go get dressed."  
  
They both went into the bathroom to get ready for the night. Each partner was nervous about the evening, but the other's presence was a reassuring comfort. They weren't sure about what Davis might pull if the evening didn't go smoothly. Hopefully, they could get the information they needed and then leave.  
  
At 7:30 pm, they arrived at Bella's. Although Davis's directions were a touch confusing, they arrived on time. Mac and Harm entered the restaurant and informed the maitre-d that they were meeting Davis, who was already there. After being led to the table, the partners soon settled in with Davis.   
  
"So, how are you doing tonight, ma'am?" Davis asked Mac.  
  
"Please, call me Catherine," Mac said. "I'm fine, thank you. Just a little sad about having to leave so soon."  
  
"That's understandable, ma-Catherine," Davis said with a smile.  
  
"What about you, sir? Also sad to leave?" he asked Harm.  
  
"It's David, and yes, I'll miss this place once we leave," Harm replied.  
  
"You're leaving the day after tomorrow, aren't you?" Davis said.  
  
"Yes," Mac replied. "The flight's confirmed and everything." She sighed, both in pretense and reality. Once they left, her entire relationship with Harm would be thrown into a tailspin. Even though they would be together, she was still unsure if it was the best idea. Harm's entire life revolved around the Navy, and leaving it would be one of the hardest things he'd ever have to do. But he would do it for her.  
  
"Catherine? Honey?" Harm asked with concern, putting a hand on Mac's shoulder.   
  
"Sorry, I must have zoned out for a second," Mac replied sheepishly.  
  
Just then, the waitress arrived to take their orders. The three people quickly fell into a not-too-interesting conversation about flying. It seemed that Davis, too, was an avid pilot, and was rather amused by Mac's hatred of the sport.   
  
As the evening dwindled down, Davis turned the conversation back to Harm and Mac leaving.  
  
"I was wondering if I might ask a favor of you," Davis said.  
  
"Yes, of course," Harm replied. "What is it?"  
  
"Well, I hate to impose on you after just getting acquainted," Davis said, rather believably, too.  
  
"No, it's alright, really. What do you need?" Mac asked.  
  
"I have a friend in D.C., around where you live, actually. I was wondering if you could deliver a package to him," Davis explained.  
  
Harm and Mac silently cheered. This was it. Davis was about to incriminate himself, and they could wrap up this case and go home.  
  
Harm looked at Davis. "We'd be happy to. What exactly do you need us to take? We can arrange-"  
  
"Harmon Rabb, Jr., what are you doing here?" Harm froze at the sound of the voice. "You never call, and now you're here in La Jolla? You sure know how to surprise people, darling."  
  
Harm turned around slowly in his chair. As he did, the room seemed to spin. Everyone in it faded away, save for Mac, Davis, and the owner of the voice: Harm's mother.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to say hello to your mother, Harmon?" Trish said.  
  
"Harmon Rabb?" Davis screamed. "I knew that I had seen you somewhere before. You're that JAG lawyer that's always getting into shit with every imaginable country."   
  
With that, Davis pulled out a semi-automatic from his waistband and aimed at it Harm. Harm's world quickly went from faded to completely black. He focused only on the shiny, black metal of the gun aimed at his head. In a second, a million thoughts ran through his head. He had to get Mac out of there. He had to get his mother out of there. He had to get himself out of there.   
  
Harm could no longer hear or see anything. His mind was shut off to anything except getting the gun away from Davis. He reached out and tried to wrestle the gun away from Davis. He lunged and grabbed Davis's arm. The two men stumbled and fell.  
  
A shot rang out in the middle of the scuffle. Trish screamed and the room turned black.  
  
A/N: Once again, I'm feeling very evil. What do you think? The fewer reviews I get, the longer it'll take me to review, so if you want the next chapter, you'd better review. We wouldn't want Harm to die, would we? Or, is it Mac who got shot? Or Davis? I guess you'll have to wait to find out! HAHAHA!!! 


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N: I'm really, really sorry about the lengthy delay in posting. I wasn't trying to be that mean about the cliffhanger, I swear. Apparently there was some sort of virus on the computer, so the Internet connection was broken, but you don't care, do you? Anyway, here's the next chapter.  
  
She sat on the edge of the chair, silent. She rested her head on top of her arms, which rested on the bed. Her eyes focused intently on his face, his closed eyes, his pale skin. Her eyes traveled down his body, from the top of his head, to where his lower torso disappeared beneath the thin, white blanket. She took in all of the IVs and tubes and wires sticking into him. He looked like an android, replenishing its power source. But he was not being replenished. He was being drained. As each second passed, each drop of fluid in the IV fell, he became weaker as long as his eyes were closed and he was unconscious. She silently screamed for him to wake up. He couldn't leave her. Not like this. Not without saying goodbye. She reached out her hand and touched his arm. Exhausted, she soon fell asleep, sitting by his side.  
  
An hour later, his eyes fluttered open, and he looked around the bare, lifeless room.   
  
"Where am I?" he asked.  
  
"The hospital," she replied, waking up instantaneously and staring at him worriedly.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
"You were shot. When you were struggling with him for the gun, it accidentally went off. Twice, actually. One bullet hit you; the other hit him," she said simply.  
  
"Is he..." he began.  
  
"Dead? Yes. He died early this morning. He was in a coma from the time the bullet hit him until he died. The doctors said he was probably brain dead the whole time," she responded.  
  
"I guess that's a good thing," he said.  
  
"Yeah," she agreed. "I'll go get the doctor. She'll want to know you're awake."  
  
"Thanks, Sandy."  
  
"You're welcome, Michael," she smiled.  
  
Well, that's how it could have happened. It also could have gone like this: 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Well, that's how it could have happened. It also could have gone like this:  
  
"She's dead. She's dead, and it's my fault. I killed her. I can't believe I killed her. It should have been me, not her," he cried, holding the lifeless woman's hand in his own.  
  
"It's not your fault," the living woman in the room tried to comfort him. "The gun went off accidentally. It could have shot anyone."  
  
"But it didn't shoot anyone, it shot her. It shouldn't have been her," he said, burying his face in his hands.  
  
She tried to console him, but it didn't work. She tried to sympathize, but she couldn't. So, she sat down, and held him while he grieved. There really hadn't been anything he could have done. Everything had happened so quickly. While they were fighting for the gun, everything was in chaos. No one was really sure of anything. When the shot was fired, everything came to a standstill. No one moved, save for her. And the only movement she made was an agonizing slump to the floor, which seemed to have happened in slow motion as the people around her watched her die.  
  
He sat in silence, holding onto her hand. After a while, he asked the woman, who had trying to console him, to leave. Though reluctant, she stepped quietly outside the room. Finally alone, he looked into her face. She was dead because of him. Everyone in his life always left him. And this time it was his fault. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. So, he wrapped his large hands around her little ones, and fell asleep holding onto her.  
  
Outside, a doctor approached the woman looking into the room.   
  
"Excuse me, ma'am?" the doctor asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We need to take the body down to the morgue. Do you think you could take him somewhere while we do that? It'll be more difficult for him if he's in the room when we take her."  
  
"Of course," Mac replied. She then entered the room to take Harm away from his mother's side.  
  
But here's what really happened: 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

But here's what really happened:   
  
He awoke with a start. He tried to lift his arm to rub his eyes, but it screamed in protest. He allowed it to fall limply back down to his side. Why it hurt he didn't know, but he knew it hurt, and badly. Slowly opening his eyes, he gazed around the room, which became gradually less blurry with each passing second. He soon realized that he was in a hospital room, and when he did, the events at the restaurant surfaced in his mind. The struggle for the gun, the shot being fired, and finally the piercing pain and the blackness closing in on his mind. How long ago had that been? He couldn't remember. Suddenly he thought of her. Was she okay? Was she alive? Thoughts of her being dead swirled though his mind. She couldn't be dead. Not like this. Not because of him. He tried to call out for someone, but he succeeded in producing only a faint gurgling sound. He had a tube down his throat. Remembering that hospitals usually had buttons, which alerted nurses to their patients' needs, he again tried to lift his arm, and again it screamed its protest. Frustrated, scared and alone, he screamed silently. Several hours passed before he awoke again.   
  
When he awoke, he found that he was no longer alone. A nurse stood over him checking his pulse.   
  
"Well, good morning," the nurse said cheerfully. "The doctor'll be glad to see you're up."  
  
He tried to respond, but the tube was still in the way.  
  
"Oh, don't try to speak, dear. You've a tube down your throat. It's helping you to breathe, though it might seem a bit of a pain. I suspect you'll be wanting to see that lady friend of yours. She's rather lovely, isn't she?"  
  
He nodded slowly.  
  
"Yes, well, I'll just have the doctor come in and have a look at you."  
  
He stared at her intently then gazed down at his arm. He wanted to know what had happened.  
  
"Oh, you want to know what's going on. Bless your heart, I should've thought of that. You were shot, dear. Right in the shoulder. Luckily it missed your heart, but only by a smidgen."  
  
He shifted uncomfortably. If he had been shot, what had happened to that other bastard? He needed to see her desperately now.   
  
Sensing his agitation, the nurse said, "I'll just go get the doctor, then. You just sit tight, and don't go anywhere, dear. Oh, my, isn't that silly? Where would you go?"  
  
The nurse left the room giggling at her little joke. A few minutes later the doctor walked in. She checked one of the various machines humming beside his bed before actually addressing him.  
  
"Good morning, Mr. Rabb. It's good to see you awake. You're doing much better than when you came in. I assume Nurse Holloway explained what happened?"  
  
Harm nodded.   
  
"Good. I think you're about ready to be extubated. I want you to take a deep breath and then blow as I remove the tube."  
  
Harm breathed in and then out, gagging slightly as the tube left his throat. Finally he felt as though he could breathe properly again.  
  
"So, do you have any questions, comments, general life statements?" the doctor joked.   
  
"Commander," he rasped.  
  
"Excuse me?" the doctor replied.  
  
"My name is Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr., JAG corps."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, Commander, your wife didn't mention anything about the military. Speaking of your wife, I'm sure you want to speak to her. I'll go get her for you."  
  
"Thank you," Harm said. The doctor left the room. A few minutes later, there was a faint knocking at the door. It slowly opened.  
  
"Hi, Harm."  
  
"Hi, Mac." 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

So, I haven't updated in a really long time. Hmm. Interesting. Please R & R. Constructive criticism is always welcome.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Mac asked.  
  
"Like I've been shot," Harm joked.  
  
Mac sat down on the edge of Harm's bed. She shook her head at him slowly, a sad sort of smile gracing her tired face. "Funny, squid."  
  
"You okay, Mac?" Harm asked.  
  
"Um, yeah. Your mother's doing fine. She and Frank are waiting outside. They're both pretty worried about you. You gave them a really good scare," Mac said. She took Harm's hand and held it as though it was trying to escape.  
  
"That's good to know, Mac, but how are you? You don't look too good."  
  
"I'm okay, Harm. Just tired and worried. But now that you're awake, I feel a lot better," Mac replied honestly.  
  
Harm seemed satisfied enough with that response. Mac climbed up onto the bed next to Harm, comforted by the feeling of his body next to hers. She'd spent the past three days praying that he wouldn't die, and now that he was awake, she was still fearful that something would go wrong.   
  
Harm felt calmer with Mac lying next to him. He remembered what the doctor and nurse had told him. The gun, the bullet, his shoulder...and then everything came back. In the brief moments he had been with Mac, he had already forgotten about Davis and the case.   
  
"Mac!" Harm said frantically.  
  
"What? What's the matter?" Mac answered.  
  
"Davis. What happened to him? Is he alive? Have you questioned him? Did you find out anything about the case?" Harm rambled the sentences together, almost incoherently.  
  
"Harm, calm down. Shhh, it's okay," Mac comforted him. She got him to lie back down on the bed. He would hurt himself again if he overworked it, and she couldn't let that happen.  
  
"He's dead, Harm. When you struggled with him for the gun, it went off accidentally. He managed to aim the first shot at you, but in the struggle, you turned it around, and the gun went off again. It shot him in the chest. He died almost instantly." Mac explained.  
  
"Shit," Harm said. Suddenly he felt very small. Thankfully he had managed to keep Davis from hurting Trish or Mac, but he hadn't kept him from killing the only person who could help them solve the case. So now Harm was in the hospital with a bum shoulder and no solution to the case. He had screwed up royally. He looked at Mac. "What are we gonna tell the Admiral? He sends us on an undercover assignment and we manage to kill the suspect. Great. Now we have nothing."  
  
"Harm," Mac said softly. "It's okay. We have everything we need. Davis is...was guilty. Not that it matters now, but at least we know that he did it."  
  
Harm looked thoroughly confused. "What do you mean? We didn't find anything out. My mom burst in before he could spill anything."  
  
Mac stifled a small chuckle as she remembered the scene at the restaurant. Even though at the time it was terrifying, in retrospect, it was a sort of comical turn of events to have Harm's mother blow their cover.   
  
"Um, Mac? Explanation please?" Harm pried into Mac's daydream.  
  
"After the incident at the restaurant, Sandy Watson came forward. She admitted that she had been helping Davis. She gave us all the information we needed including the names of all the people Davis had been working with in his little operation, and they've all been arrested. Sandy didn't play a very big role in the matter. She just fell in love with a handsome squid and got pulled into his scheme. Before she knew what was going on, he had her trapped. I felt for her, so I'm going to ask that the charges against her be dropped, or at the very least lessened; she was incredibly helpful in the entire ordeal," Mac explained to Harm.  
  
"So, she fell in love with a handsome squid, huh?" he asked. "Why does that sound familiar?"  
  
"I don't know," Mac joked. "I think it was a Lifetime movie the other night."  
  
"Funny, Marine," Harm said before pulling Mac into a kiss. Mac sighed. It was times like this that she was going to miss when they got back to JAG. The feel of Harm's lips moving incessantly over hers, his hands gently caressing her back. She pulled away from him slowly.   
  
"Remember what you promised about when we got home?" she asked.  
  
"Of course," Harm replied. "The bullet hit my shoulder, not my brain, Mac. I meant what I said. I love you, and if I have to give up my career at JAG for this relationship to work, then that's what I'll do."  
  
"I love you, too, Flyboy," Mac said placing a light kiss on Harm's lips. "Now, as much as I'd love to stay and make out all day, I'm sure that Frank and Trish will want to see you."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure they do," Harm agreed.   
  
Mac got off the bed to go get Harm's parents. As she stepped away from the bed, Harm reached out and grabbed her wrist, slowly turning her around to face him.  
  
"Mac?" he asked.  
  
"What's the matter?" she replied nervously.  
  
"Nothing's the matter. It's just..." Harm began. "Sarah, will you marry me?"  
  
Now, I didn't even expect him to do that. Okay, I kinda did just a little bit, but only right before he did it. I'll try to be good and have the next chappie up soon. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Harm had been discharged from the hospital after another three-day stay. He had recovered pretty well, but was still a little out of it. Trish and Frank insisted that Harm and Mac spend a few days with them. Harm, already worried about the Admiral's reaction to their frankly screwed-up assignment, had been a little worried about extending the trip, but Mac had convinced him that he didn't want to go back to JAG quite yet.  
  
Sitting on the back porch, Harm and Frank were smoking cigars and leisurely sipping their beers. Mac and Trish were in the kitchen working on dinner.  
  
"So, Harm," Frank began. "How's your personal life going? Have you found anyone yet?"  
  
"What, no comments about how I should end up with Mac?" Harm asked.  
  
"No, I think I'll just leave those up to your mother. But if there's something about Mac that you'd like to talk about, go ahead. She seemed awfully worried about you in the hospital."  
  
"Frank," Harm said putting down his cigar and beer for a minute. "Can I tell you something and be guaranteed that my mother is not going to hear about it?"  
  
"Of course, Harm," Frank said. He embraced any opportunity to have these father-son chats with Harm.  
  
"A few days ago, in the hospital," Harm started. "I kinda proposed...to Mac."  
  
"What did she say?" Frank said.   
  
"She said yes," Harm replied.  
  
Frank smiled broadly. This was going to be difficult to keep from Trish. She had been pushing for these two to get together forever.  
  
"What do you think?" Harm asked.  
  
"I think it's great. Congratulations!" Frank said, placing a reassuring hand on Harm's arm. "I'm proud of you, Harm."  
  
"For getting engaged?"  
  
"Well, that, too. No, just in your life. I know that you still don't really see me as your father, but this is one of those times that I really see you as my son. And I'm proud of you," Frank said.  
  
"Thanks, Frank," Harm said. He was about to add something else when Trish and Mac walked out of the kitchen. "None of this to Mom, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
That night, Harm and Mac lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Much to their surprise, Trish had not only not objected to their sleeping in the same room, but had practically suggested it. They weren't complaining, though. As they stared at the ceiling in the slowly darkening room, Mac rolled over to face Harm.  
  
"Have you told them, yet?" she asked.  
  
"I told Frank this evening before dinner, but I haven't said anything to my mother yet," Harm replied. "Once she finds out, she'll have the wedding, reception and honeymoon planned in 3.6 seconds flat."  
  
Mac giggled. "Well that would definitely make our lives a little easier, wouldn't it?"  
  
Harm smiled in the darkness. "Yeah, I guess it would."   
  
Harm sat up and turned on the lamp next to his bed. His eyes squinted as they grew accustomed to the light.   
  
"What's up?" Mac asked, rubbing her eyes from the sudden light.  
  
"Are we ready for this?" Harm asked.  
  
"For what? Marriage?" Mac replied.  
  
"Yes. Marriage and other stuff."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Such as telling everyone about this. Now, don't get worried, because I'm not backing out at all, I swear. It's just that, we've been out here for two weeks, and in that time we've fallen in love and gotten engaged. I've practically written my request for a change of designator already. Don't you think we're taking everything a little too fast?" Harm said.  
  
"First things first, Harm. I know that you wouldn't back out on this now. If you did, I might have to kill you," Mac said, receiving a sarcastic smile from Harm. "Next, if you think that it's taken the past two weeks for us to fall in love, you're more out of it than I'd imagined. I don't know when the exact moment it happened was, but I know that I've been in love with you for a lot longer than fourteen days. And, as for what other people think, they've known longer than we have that we're supposed to be together. I mean, look at Harriet. She's been trying to get us together for years. I know it all seems a little fast, but believe me, once we get home, everything will just fall into place. We don't have to get married tomorrow. We've already waited eight years. We can wait a little longer."   
  
"Have I kissed you and told you how much I love you lately?" Harm said, wrapping his arms around the beautiful Marine.  
  
"Not in the past five minutes you haven't," Mac smiled.  
  
"I should remedy that, shouldn't I?"  
  
"Definitely," Mac said. "But before you do, you're okay with all of this, aren't you?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Good." 


End file.
